Power-driven base-ball pitcher.



Patente Jan. 23, 1917.

4 SHEETS-SHEET l.

H. G. BOARDIVIAN.

lPOWER DRIVEN BASE BALL PITCHER.

APPLICATION FILED IIIAvsI, IsIe.

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VPOWER DRIVEN BASE BALL PITCHER.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 3l. 1916.

H. G. BOARDII/IAN.

PowEII IIIIIvEN BASE BAIL PITCHER.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 3|, I9Is.

- Patented Jan. 23, 1917.

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POWER DRIVEN BASE BALL PITCHER.

APPLICATION FILED MAYSI. 1916.

Lm 39577. Patented Jan. 23, 1917.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 4.

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HARRY G. BOARDMAN, OF CHICAGO,

0F ILLINOIS, 0F CHICAGG. ILLINOIS.

ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR T0 AUTOMATIC BASEBALL GQ.

A CORPORATION OF ILLINOIS.

POWER-DRIVEN BASE-BALL JPI'ICHER.l

Specication of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 23, 191'?.

Application led May 31, 1916. Serial No. 100,986.

To all whom z't may concern:

Be it known that I, HARRY G. BOARDMAN, a citizen of the United States,residing at Chicago, inthe county of Cook and State of Illinois, haveinvented a new and useful Power-Driven Base-Ball Pitcher, of which thefollowing is a specification.

My invention relates to baseball pitchers, and the principal object ofthe invention is to provide a pitcher which will be power driven, andwhich will pitch balls continuously at regular intervals, this pitcherbeing located in a screened inclosure having a sloping floor so arrangedas to return the balls to the pitcher. Y

A second object of the invention is to provide ball feeding means forsuch a baseball pitcher, these feeding means being arranged to receivethe balls from the sloping Hoor, and to feed them tothe pitcher fromeither side.

A third object of the invention is to providea pair of power drivenbaseball pitchers which are arranged side by side, and served by thesame feeding means, these pitchers being combined with mechanism wherebyeither pitcher may be run alone, and whereby the feeding means will inthat case serve the operating pitcher from either side.

A fourth object of the invention is to pro vide a mechanism foractuating the feeding means which will be driven twice as fast when bothpitchers are operating as when only one is operating.

A fifth object of the invention is to provide in connection with thefeeding means an overflow trough which will receive any balls inexcessof the requirements of the pitcher, passing these balls back tothe feeding means in case of an over-supply of balls.

A sixth object of the invention is to pron can be made to throw toeither side of a narrow court' so as or a left hand batter a ball toserve either a right in a small space.

of the invention is to prothe tension on the the 4Vspeed of the Aseventh object vide means for varylng control spring so as to vary ballthrown. ,Y

Further objects and advantages will be made evident hereinafter.

Referring to the drawings, which are for illustrative purposes only:Figure 1 is a plan view of a court in which a pair of pitchers areplaced. Fig. 2 is a sectional elevation of the apparatus shown inFig. 1. Fig. 3 is a side elevation partly in section of one of thepitchers. Fig. 4 is a plan view of a pair of pitchers. Fig. 5 is a reareleva tion of a portion of the feeding means and connectionstherebetween. Fig. 6 is an elevation partly in section of the lowerportion of a pitcher, and its connected parts. Fig. 7 is an elevation ofa portion of the drive for the feeding means. Fig. 8 is a partialsection through the air dash-pot..

In my invention, a closed court 11 is provided,A this court having vafioor 12 which slopes back toal feeding trough 13. A playing field 14 issecured in the rear of the court, being fastened by pulleys to the topand back of the court, and being secured to the floor 12 at a point justbehind the feeding trough 13. A pair of pitchers 15 and 16 are securedon the Hoor 12 just in front of the feeding trough 13, these pitchersbeing controlled by operators located on platforms 17 at the extremefront ofthe court. The court 11 is entirely inclosedwith canvas ornetting, or both, so that there is no possibility of a ball being battedoutside the court. A rear protector 18, and a front protector 19 areprovided to protect the pitchers 15 and 16 from batted balls.

'llhe pitchers 15 and 16 are practically duplicates of each other,except that they are arrangedY for right and left hand operation as willbe readily understood from the drawings. Fach of the pitchers consistsof a base 20 on which is mounted a cast iron standard 21, this standardbeing of U-sec'- tion with a web 22 extending across the forward endthereof. Secured to the web 22 by means of bolts 23 is a gear frame 24,this gear frame having bearings therein in which a gear shaft 25 is freeto turn. Se-

cured on the gear shaft 25 is a worm gear 26, this worm gear meshing inand being driven by a worm 27 which is secured on a shaft 28 carried inbearings on the gear frame 24. 'llhe shaft 28 is driven through acoupling 29 by an electric motor 30. rlfhe gear 26 is provided with acrank pin 31 on which a roller 32 is free to turn, the roller 32 fittinginto and sliding freely in a slot 33 which is formed in a crank lever34. rllhe slot is so shaped that that portion contained in the arc a-bof Fig. 3 is concentric with the center of the shaft 25 when the roller32 is located therein, the portion 11@ l hereinafter. The crank lever 34is pivoted on an eccentric portion of a pin 35, this' pin having ends 36which are eccentric with the portion 35, and these ends 36 beingjournaled in and turning freely in an eccentric bearing bracket 37 whichis secured to the web 22 by means of bolts 38. Secured on one end of thepin 36 is an eccentric lever 39, this lever. being connected through arod 40 with a bell crank 41 which turns on a pin 42 secured in -abracket 43.formed on the basel 20. The other arm of the bell- -crank 41is connected through a rod 44 with an operating lever 45, each of theoperating levers 45 being located on one of the platforms 17 within easyreach of the operators'. A clevis bar is mounted in pins 51 on the upperend of the crank lever 34, and a spring 52 is, secured in a clevis 53which is pivoted on pins 54 formed on the clevis bar 50. The oppositeend of the spring 52 is secured to a clevis 55 which is pivoted on avpin 56 passing through the lower end of a throwing arm 57. The throwingarm 57 is in turn pivoted on a pin 58 carried in a throwing arm bracket59. Secured to the upper' end of the throwing arm 57 is a throwingfinger 60, this throwing finger being preferably formed of stid wirebent in U-shape of a suiicient size to form a trough,

and in which a baseball such as that shown at 61 can readily roll.Secured on the upper end of the throwing arm 57I between the two sidesof the linger is a hook 62, this hook being engaged by a latch 63 whichis pivoted on a pin 64 carried'in a latch bracket 65, the latch bracket65 being secured on a web 66 of the throwing arm bracket 59. Acompression spring'67 tends to hold the latch 63 in engagement with thehook 62 thereby restraining the throwing arm 57 against the tension ofthe spring 52. A trigger 68 is pivoted on ,a pin 69 carried on the latchbracket 65, one end of this trigger extending up between the two arms ofthe throwing finger 60 in such a position that it will be hit by theball 61 as it rolls downwardly over the finger, and the other end 70 ofthe trigger 68 being lso placed that it will throw the latch 63 out ofengagement with the hook l62 wheri the trigger is struck by the ball.

Pivoted on trunnions 75, carried on an extension 76 of the throwing armbracket 59, is a dash-pot 77, this dash-pot having a piston 78 slidingtherein. rllhe piston 78 is provided with a piston rod 79 which ispivoted on a pin 80 carried in ears' 81 formed on the top of. thethrowing arm 57. rllhe piston 78 is vprovided with a plurality of smallholes 85, these holes being closed I by a valve washer 86, this valvewasher 86 The throwing arm bracket 59 is secured.

by means of pins 90 to a vertical shaft 91 which turns freely in`projections 92 formed on the web 22, this shaft extending down andterminating in a crank 93, this crank having a pin 94 which extends outand is engaged by a spiral cam 95,7this spiral cam being secured on anadjusting shaft 96. Each of the adjusting shafts 96 extends forward andis connected to an adjusting lever 97, each of which is placed on. oneof the platforms 17 within convenient reach of the operator.

Secured'on the inner side of the web 22 is an adjustable throat 100,this throat being provided with slots 101 through which bolts 102 passso that it can be moved up or down as may be desired. The balls areelevated by means of a chain 105, this chain carrying buckets 106 whichare of the form shown in Fig. 3. The chain "105 passes over a headsprocket 107 this sprocket turning freely on a head shaft 108 which maybe adjusted up or down in slots 109 formed in head sprocket projections110 of the standard 21, this adjustment of the shaft 108 being providedfor the purpose of taking up the wear of the chain 105. Located onbrackets 111 are idler wheels 112 which tend to hold the chain in theposition shownl in Fig. 3, and turning freely in extensions 113 of thestandard 21 is a foot shaft 114, this foot shaft being rigidly securedto a ratchet wheel 115, and a sprocket wheel 116, the chain 105 passingover the sprocket 116 and being driven thereby. The ratchet 115 isprovided with teeth 117 which are engaged by a pawl 118 carried onvapawl arm 119 which turns freely lon the shaft 1 14. The pawl arm 119 isdriven through a`rod 120 from a pin 121 secured on the crank lever 34,the rod 120 passing through a block 122 which is swiveled on the pin121. A compression spring.123 surrounds the rod 120 and presses at oneend on a nut 124, and at the other end on the block 122. A spring 125surrounds the shaft 114, one end being secured in the extension 113, andthe other.

i eov Fig. 3 to manner as to rotate itin a counter-clockwise directionas viewed in Fig. 3 against the tension of the spring 123.

Secured to the extensions 113 is a trough 126, this trough being cutaway at- 127 and 128 as shown in 4Fig. 4 to allow the bucket 106 to passtherethrough. An auxiliary trough 129 is formed on the rear of thetrough 126, this auxiliary trough being higher and being inclined asshown in Fig. 5 so as to feed any balls back in case of a surplus ofballs accumulating in the trough 126; such surplus of balls being raisedby the pressure of the incoming balls into the trough 129. v f

Belts 130 and 131, passing over pulleys 132 and 133, pass through thetrough 13. The pulleys 132 and 133 are secured to shafts 134 and 135respectively, to which are also secured sprockets 136 and 137. A chain138 passes over these sprockets as shown in Fig. 5, and also 'over idlersprockets 139 and 140, this chain being driven by a driving sprocket 141carried on a shaft 142. The shaft 142 extends inwardly ing journaled ina feeder shaft bracket 150. A ratchet wheel 151 is secured to theforward end thereof, this ratchet wheel being engaged by racks 152 and153 which slide in guides 154, and which are driven by links 155 fromcrank pins 156 carried on cranks 157 which are secured to the shafts25.Each of the racks 152 and 1541s held in engagement with the wheel 151 bya Hat spring 158.

The method of operation .is as follows:

The motor 30 being energized by electric current from any suitablemeans, the gear 26 is driven by the worm 27 rection as viewed in Fig. 3.At the instant shown in that drawing one of the balls has inafter bedescribed, this ball passing over the adjustable throat onto the finger60 over which it passes. This movement of the ball 61 from the positionshown at A in the position shown at B in Fig. 3 taking place during thetime that the roller 32 is in the dwell of the slot'33. During thistime, although the gear, 26 has moved through an arc equal to the anglea-b, there has been no change in i the crank lever 34.

ing this period. The ball 61 strikes against the end of the trigger 68,causing the latch 63 to release the hook 62, and the thro-wing arm 57 isrow X of Fig. 3, the forward by the finger 60,'this ball 61 rolling upthel finger as the arm-.57 rotates and being discharged toward'thebatter. As the throwing arm 57 moves forward, the dashpot 77 serves tocheck the final force of its movement, the degree of this checkingaction between the pitchers, be-

in a clockwise dias will herethe position of e The tension on the,spring 52 has thereby been maintained dur-` rotated in the direction ofthe ar` ball 61 being thrown.

l96 tov turn either latched in place This movementv the ratchet wheel115 through the pawl 118 so that the ratchet wheel 115, the shaft 114,

.and the sprocket 116 are turned 90o for each revolution of the gear 26.The sprocket 116 and the chain 105 are so proportioned, and the buckets106 are so located, that one of the balls 61 is delivered into theposition A for each revolution` of the gear 26, the actual delivery ofthe ball to the throwing finger 60 taking'place while the roller 32 isin the dwell of the slot 33. i

The movement of the shaft 25 is transmitted through the'y crank 157 andthe crank.

pins 156 to one of the racks 152 or 153, these racks having oppositelyinclined teeth, and being so.arrangedthat the teeth of the ratchet wheel151 are passed therebyif for anyfreason the racks 152 and 153 arestationary. The result fis that either of the shafts 25 will drive theshaft 142, or if both the shafts 25 are rotated the shaft 142 will bedriven at twice the rate that it would be were only one of the shafts 25rotated, the rotation of the shaft 142 actuating the `chain 138 throughthe sprocket 141, and the pulleys 142 and 143 are turned in such a wayas to move the upper surface of the belts 130 and 131 toward the centerof the pitcher. Any balls carried by the belts are therefore dellveredonto the trough from which they are carried upwardly by the buckets 106.Any crowding of the balls inthe trough tending lto lift same beingprovided for by the balls being caught by the overflow trough 129, andYreturned 4to the belts 130 and 131. 4

Tt is desirable in many cases to install a pair of pitchers in a narrowspace such as an ordinary city storeroom, and it is further desirable tobe able to arrange either pitcher to deliver a ball in a convenientposition to be struck by eitherv a right or a left hand batter.I This.can be accomplished by a rotation of the whole pitcher, but 1` preferto move only the pitching arm bracket 59 which 1 accomplish by arotation of the shaft 91 by means of the crank 93 and Ithespiral cam 94,.this rotation being accomplished by means of the shaft 96. 1t is thuspossible for an operator on either of the pltforms 17 by operatingthe`shaft of the vpitchers to throw to thefright or the left, or to anyintermediate position in the court to suit the convenience of thebatter. It is further desirable to allow the operator of the machine tovary the speed of the pitched ball, and this is readily accomplished byvarying the fulcrum of the lever 34, this being accomplished by turningthe eccentric 35 through the rod 40, the bell crank 41, and the rod 44.VIt is thus possible for the operator by a manipulation of the lever 34to cause the pitcher to throw either a fast or a slow ball.

'In actual operation a sufficient supply of balls is provided to allowfor some storage and for filling all of the buckets 106 whichI are. everin action at one time. The motor is so regulated and the parts are soproportioned that the balls are throwny at Sulliciently long intervalsto suit the convenience of the batter. It is further possible to operateeither onea or both pitchers, and to feed the balls twice as fast whenboth pitchers are operating as when one pitcher is operating. Y

- I claim as my invention:

1. A pair of baseball pitchers, two lifting means each adapted todeliver balls to one of said pitchers, horizontal means for feedingballs to said lifting means, driving o. means for each lifting means,and means by Y 3 which either or both of said drivin means can drivesaid horizontal means, said horizontal means bein driven twice as fastby both of said drivlng means as it is when driven by either alone.

2. In a baseball pitcher, a lifting means, ahorizontal trough throughwhich balls are delivered to said lifting means, and an overflow troughfor receiving excess balls from near the` center of said horizontaltrough and delivering them to a point near the beginning of saidhorizontal trough.

3. In a baseball pitcher, a lifting means,

a horizontal trough through which balls are delivered to said liftingmeans, and a belt driven from said baseball pitcher for delivering ballsto said trough.

4. In a baseball pitcher, a sloping floor, a horizontal troughV locatedin the low portion of said Hoor, a second horizontal trough for saidpitcher, two belts extending in either direction from said pitcher andeach delivering balls to said second trough, and means by which both ofsaid belts are driven by said pitcher.

5. In a baseball pitcher, a standard; a bracket attached to saidstandard; a throwing armpivoted in said bracket; a tension springattached at one end to one end of said throwing arm ;\a crank leverpivoted on said standard and having one end of said tension springattached to one end thereof; and motorA driven means for actuating theother end' of said crank lever.

6. In a baseball pitcher, a standard; a bracket attached to saidstandard; a throwing arm pivoted in said bracket; a tension springattached at one end to one end of sald throwing arm; a crank leverpivoted spring attached at one end to one end of. saidthrowing arm; acrank lever pivoted on said standardand having one end of said tensionspring attached to one end thereof, said crank lever having a slotformed therein; a gear shaft; a gear on said gear shaft; power means fordriving said gear; and a crank pinsecured on said gear, engaging saidslot. and actuating said crank lever, a portion of said slot beingcurved on an arc having the same mean radius as said crank pin so thatsaid pin can move in said curved portion of saidv slot without movingsaid crank lever.

8. In a baseball pitcher, a standard; a bracket pivoted about a verticalaxis to said standard; means by which an operator can swing said bracketabout said axis; a throw-- ing arm pivotedin said bracket; a tensionspring attached at one end to one end of Said throwing arm; a cranklever pivoted on said standard and having one end of said tension springattached to one end thereof; and motor driven means for actuating theother end of said crank lever.

9. In a baseball pitcher, a standard; a bracket pivoted about a verticalaxis to said standard; means by which an operator can swing said bracketabout said axis; a throwing arm pivoted insaid bracket; a tension springattached at one end to one end of said throwing arm; a crank leverpivoted on said standard and having one end of said vtension springattached to one end thereof, said crank lever having a slot formedtherein; a gear shaft.; a gear on said gear shaft; power means fordriving said gear; and a crank pin'scured on said gear, engaging saidslot, and actuating said crank lever.

10. ,In a baseball pitcher, a standard; a bracket pivoted about avertical axis to said standard; means by which an operator/ can `swingsaid bracket about said axis; a throwing arm pivoted in said bracket; atension spring attached at one, end to one end of said throwing arm; acrank lever pivoted on said standard and` having one end of said tensionspring attached to one end thereof, said crank lever havinga slot formedtherein; a gear shaft; a gear on said gear shaft;

power means fordriving said gear; and a crank pin secured on sald gear,engaglng said slot, and, actuating said crank lever,

Lamar? a portion of said slot -being curved on an arc having the samemean radius as said crank pin so that said pin can move in said curvedportion of said slot without moving `sai crank lever.

11. In a baseball pitcher, a standard; a bracket attached to saidstandard; a throwing arm pivoted in said bracket; a tension springattached at" one end to one end of said throwing arm; a crank *leverpivoted on said standard and having one end of said tension springattached to one end thereof; eccentric means by ywhich an operator canvary the position of the pivot of said crank lever with relation to saidstandard to increase or diminish the tension of said spring; and kmotordriven means for actuating the other end of said crankilever.

12. 1n` a baseball pitcher, a standard; a bracket 'attachedto saidstandard; a throwing arm pivoted in said bracket; a tension springattached at one end to one end of said throwing arm; a crank leverpivoted on said standard and `having` one end of said tension springattached to one end thereof; eccentric means by which an operator canvary the position of the pivot of said crank lever with relation to saidstandard to increase or diminish the tension of said spring; formedtherein; a gear shaft; a gear on said gear shaft; power vmeansfordriving said gear; and a crank pin secured on said gear, engagingsaid slot, and actuating said crank lever.

13. ln a baseball pitcher, a standard; a bracket attached to saidstandard; a throwing arm pivoted in said bracket; a tension springattached at one end to'one end of said throwing arm; a crank leverpivoted on said standard and having one end of said tension springattached to one end thereof; eccentric means by which an operator canvary the position of the pivot of said crank lever with relation to saidstandard to increase or diminish the-tension of said spring, said cranklever having a slot formed therein; a gear shaft; a gear on said gearshaft; power means for driving said gear; and a crank pin secured onsaid gear, engaging said slot, and actuating said crank lever, a portionof said slot being curved on an are having the same mean radius as saidcrank pin so that said pin can move in said curved 'portion of said slotwithout moving said crank lever.

14. lln a baseball pitcher, a standard; a bracket pivoted about avertical amis to said standard; means by which an operator said cranklever having a slot' 'end of said tension spring attached to one endthereof; eccentric means by which an operator can vary the position ofthe pivot Lof said crank levergwith relation to said standard toincrease or. diminish the tension of said spring; and motor driven meansfor actuating the other end of ,said crank lever. f

15. ln a baseball pitcher, a standard; a bracket pivoted about avertical axis to said standard; means by which an operator can swingsaid bracket about said axis; a throwing arm pivoted in said bracket; atension spring attached at one end to one end of said throwing arm; acrank lever pivoted on said standard and vhaving one end of said tensionspring attached to one end thereof; 'eccentric' means by which anoperator can vary of said crank lever with relation to said standard toincrease or diminish the tension of said spring, said crank lever havinga slot formed therein; a gear shaft; a gear on said gear shaft; powermeans for driving said gear.; and a crankpin secured on said'gear.engaging said slot, and actuating said crank lever.

16. ln a baseball pitcher, a standard, a bracket pivoted about averticalaxis to said standard; means by which an operator can swing said bracketabout said axis; a throw-v ing arm pivoted in said bracket; a tensionspring attached at one end to one end of said throwing arm; a` cranklever pivoted on said standard and having one end of said tension springattached to one end'thereof; eccentric means by which an operator canvary the position of the pivot of said crank lever with relation tosaidstandard to increase or diminish the tension of said spring,

said crank lever having a slot formed therein; a gear shaft; a gear onsaid gear shaft; power means for driving said gear; and a crank pinsecured on said gear, engaging said slot, and actuating said cranklever, a.

portion of said slot being curved on an are having the same mean radiusas said crank pinso that said pin can move in saidcurved lportion ofsaid slot without moving ysaid crank lever.

ln testimony whereof l have hereunto set my hand at Olympia, Wash., this24th day of April, 1916. 4

HARRY G. BOARDMAN.

the position of the pivot V ica

